It has been widely recognized that furniture pieces may be designed to serve more than one function or may be folded for storage. For example, a sofa may be opened to form a bed and the legs of a card table may be folded so that the card table may be conveniently stored.
There have been many patents issued in which a furniture piece may be folded for storage or may be connected, in various ways, to serve a number of functions. The number of different conventionally employed basic furniture components is limited. Such components generally include such items as legs, for example, upright stiles, cross-beam supports, panels used as shelves or as tops, hinges and fixed fasteners such as screws. However, these components may be arranged in countless numbers of ways, some of those arrangments being illustrated by the patents which are discussed below.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,615,711 for "Knockdown Table" shows a table having a top panel and four removable square "U" shaped members which serve as its legs and supports.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,110,068 for "Foldable Table" shows a table which may be folded to form a cabinet and unfolded, using hinged panels, to form a table.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,181,525 for "Convertible Kitchen Table, Ironing Board, Quilting Frame and Clothes Rack" shows a frame having detachable racks and a table top.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,744,845 for "Combination Bench, Stool, And Plaque Table" shows a frame of stiles and cross-pieces which are fixed and which may be turned on its side, or turned on its end, for various furniture uses.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,070,416 for "Secretarial Cabinet" shows a secretarial cabinet, including two fixed container members, which may be pivoted to form a box-like arrangement (FIG. 3) or opened to support a foldable top member.
In U.S. Pat. No. 2,122,969 for "Collapsible Table Cabinet" a cabinet structure having drawers utilizes pivotable panels which may be opened to form an enlarged table surface and an adjustable tiltable board.
In U.S. Pat. No. 2,549,242 for "Collapsible Combination Screen and Table" a foldable screeln, having foldable legs, may be opened and used as a table.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,070,138 for "Foldable Work-Bench" shows a frame structure having legs pivoted together and a foldable top.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,086,526 for "Article of Furniture" shows a bookcase having pivotable side panels which may be opened to act as a screen.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,764,462 for "Portable Collapsible Bar" shows a structure having a front panel, hinged side panels, a removable shelf and a removable top.
U.S. Pat. No. 409,947 for "Ironing Board and Table" shows a stand which may be turned for use as an ironing board.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,406,645 for "Prefabricated Furniture" shows library furniture which is assembled to form carrel units of different arrangements using slots and plugs.